Street By Street: Berkley Street (c. 1830s-Present)


Berkley Street and surrounding area, including the canal, from the 1841 vista of Birmingham.
Held at Birmingham Archive.

Berkley Street still exists and is off Broad Street. 

Images above: The 1841 vista of Birmingham should not be taken as a literal representation of Birmingham, but it provides an impression of the town in the early years of Queen Victoria's reign. Berkley Street was drawn but not named on the 1839 map of Birmingham (see the bottom of the post), the first map on which it can be found. On this map were stone, coal, timber and brick wharfs along the canal basins. The open spaces, such as those by the Jewish Burial Ground (bottom left), were small gardens but these gardens were not to last much longer.

Images below: Looking south-west down Berkeley Street towards the wharfs of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal Company in 1874. Tupper and Company, galvanised iron merchants and manufacturers, had buildings on each side of Berkley Street, accessible by the canal basin which came under the street. This canal basin is visible in the image at the bottom left and right, and boats are moored loading up wares from Tupper & Comp. The premises of the galvanised iron works are also seen on the 1800s map.

Tupper and Company, 1874. Held at Birmingham Archive, MS 1342/351.

1880s map of Berkeley Street.

Snippet from Tupper and Company, 1874, showing the buildings and canal basin (and a dog).

Snippet form Tupper and Company, 1874.

Full image of Tupper and Company, 1874.


Maps

Berkley Street was not drawn on the 1819 map of Birmingham.

Snippet of 1839 map of Birmingham.

Snippet of 1851 map of Birmingham. Written Berkeley Street.

Snippet of 1880s map showing Berkeley Street.